TerraDrive Universe:Please do not bite the noobs
The TerraDrive Universe improves not only through the hard work of dedicated contributors but also through the often anonymous contributions of many curious noobs. All of us were noobs once, even those careful or lucky enough to have avoided common mistakes, and many of us consider ourselves newcomers even after months of contributing. New contributors are prospective "members" and are therefore our most valuable resource. We must treat newcomers with kindness and patience — nothing scares potentially valuable contributors away faster than hostility or elitism. While many newcomers hit the ground running, some lack knowledge about the way we do things. Please DO NOT bite the noobs! * Understand that newcomers are both needed by and are of value to the community. By empowering newcomers, we improve the diversity and creativity of articles in the TerraDrive Universe, enhance its value and make it fun! * Remember, our motto — and our invitation to the newcomer — is [[TDU:Be bold|be bold in editing and developing articles]]. We have a set of rules and standards and traditions, but they must not be applied in such a way as to thwart those noobs who take that invitation at face value. It is entirely possible for a newcomer to this site to bring a wealth of experience from other venues, together with ideas and creative energy which, current rules and standards notwithstanding, may further improve our community and the TerraDrive Universe. It may be that the rules and standards need revising or expanding; some of what the noob seems to be doing "wrong" at first may actually improve the TerraDrive Universe. Observe for a while and, if necessary, ask what the newcomer is trying to achieve before defining what he or she is doing as "wrong" or "substandard". * If you do determine, or sincerely believe, a newcomer has made a mistake, such as forgetting to sign a talk page entry, or editing canon without first getting consensus, try to correct the mistake yourself. Don't slam the noob; remember, this is a place where anyone can edit and, in a very real sense, it is therefore each person's responsibility to edit, not to criticize or supervise others. * Remember that noobs often don't realise that edit histories are saved. So when their edits are deleted, they will often panic, start an edit war or leave the TerraDrive Universe because they mistakenly assume that hours of work have been irretrievably deleted. Please gently let noobs know that their work is never lost and can always be retrieved from the history. Teach them that they can negotiate on talk pages and that if all else fails they can always revisit the article a few months later to negotiate with a new set of editors. * If you really feel that you must say anything at all to a newcomer about a mistake, please do so in a constructive way. Begin by introducing yourself and letting them know that they are welcome here, and present your corrections calmly and as the contributor's peer, perhaps also pointing out things they've done that you like. If you can't do that, then it may well be better to say nothing. * Other newcomers may be hesitant to make changes, especially major ones, due to fear of damaging the TerraDrive Universe (or of offending other developers, or being flamed). Teach them to be bold, and do not be annoyed by their "timidity." * While it is fine to point a new user, who has made a mistake, towards the relevant policy pages, it is both unreasonable and unfriendly to suggest that they stop taking part in votes, discussions etc. until they "gain more experience." This both discourages new editors and may deprive WP of much needed insights. * When giving advice to newcomers, make the newcomer feel genuinely welcome, not as though they must win your approval in order to be granted membership into an exclusive club. Any new domain of concentrated, special-purpose human activity has its own specialized strictures and structures, which take time to learn, and which benefit from periodic re-examination and revision. * Do not call newcomers disparaging names such as " " or " ". If a lot of newcomers show up on one side of a vote, you should make them feel welcome while explaining that their votes may be disregarded. No name-calling is necessary. * Sometimes users forget to use four tildes after talk page posts. You can make the reminder process a little easier and less annoying by using the following two templates. One can also use to fix those anonymous comments in the meantime. * Assume good faith on the part of the newcomer. They most likely want to help out. Give them a chance! * Remember that you were once a newcomer also. Treat others as (if possible, better than) you would want to be treated if you had just arrived at Wikipedia. How to avoid being a "biter" In more general terms, one can also avoid being accused of being a "biter" by: # Avoiding intensifiers in commentary (such words as terrible, dumb, stupid, bad, good, and so forth, and exclamation marks). # Modulating one's approach and wording. # Striving to respond in a measured manner. # Accepting graciously another person's actions or inactions in a given situation or context. # Acknowledging differing principles and a willingness to reach consensus. # Opening oneself towards taking responsibility for resolution of conflicts. # # . # Avoid WikiLawyering. When linking to policies or guidelines, do so in whole phrases, not wiki shorthand. Ignorance of the rules is not excusable...actually, it IS The principle " " (Latin for: "ignorance of the law does not excuse") is incompatible with the policies of not biting and assuming good faith. If you prosecute and judge people because they are ignorant of our policies and guidelines, you are in fact violating our policies and guidelines! Try instead to follow the points set forth here to relieve the new editors of their ignorance. Keep in mind that this is not the way many other things work, and even seasoned editors fail to follow our guidelines from time to time. The point of not biting is to attract developers to the TerraDrive Universe, not to turn them away by mistreating them, even if they may have deserved it. What to do if you feel you have been "bitten" If you have "bitten" someone, or feel that you have been "bitten", there are a number of things to keep in mind, and alternatives to choose from: # Actively choose to learn from the incident. # Consider alternatives that could have been used by the "biter" to achieve a more desirable response for yourself, and if you encounter a similar situation in the future, consider acting in the latter manner if the situation warrants. # Allow yourself to feel encouraged that someone took the time to acknowledge your actions. # Consider that negative "biting" incidents are transitory - one should not feel the need to pacify one's actions as a result of non-constructive commentary. Extract the wisdom that may have been unintentionally veiled, and choose to take that away as valuable experience. # Choose to point out in a reasoned manner any offense taken, and learn to recognize when the message cannot be received. The recipient may be unable or unwilling to accept fault, and it may be better to move on to other things than to dwell on the "bite".